Philips 3200 vs 4300: Comparing All Sub-Models

This is the comparison of two starting range automatic espresso machine series, Philips 3200 vs 4300.

I’m an avid coffee drinker who used & researched what sets these seemingly similar machines apart.

Philips launched this machine at a very close price point and it is one of the confusing factors. Like, If someone go with the 3200 LatteGo then at the same price 4300 Milk Frother is available and vice-versa.

But also there are feature differences too, which we have addressed in the later part of this article, so relax and read and you’ll be clear.

Philips 3200 vs 4300 – Which One to Consider?

See, for this comparison; it’s an easy win for Philips 4300 series because it is the updated & feature-rich version of the Philips 3200 but also charges more around US $200.

However, you cannot ignore 3200 completely as it is a more value-for-money product; yes, it is trailing but with a slight margin.

In fact, both series have the same brewing unit, meaning the same beverage quality level.

If you are still confused, don’t worry; we have made an in-depth comparison below so that you can find the best machine for you.

Before Getting Into The Comparison…

Before getting into the real stuff, it is necessary to know a few basic but important things about machines.

Look, Philips 3200 and 4300 are a series of coffee machines and not exactly the model numbers/name.

Under Philips 3200, there are three models: LatteGo, Steam Wand and Iced Coffee. And the Philips 4300 series comes with two models: LatteGo and Steam Wand.

The Lattego is a fully super-automatic machine that froths milk for you in one press; the Iced Coffee version is exactly the same but with an iced coffee option.

And the Philips Steam Wand series lies between a semi-automatic and super-automatic machine, where you can brew other beverages at one click, but you’ve to froth milk yourself.

My purpose is just to make these things clear. Now, don’t get confused with the names; we have covered everything for you in the later section.

Philips 3200 vs 4300 – Detailed Comparison

Now, you know which is the overall winner among the two, but what if the opposite is the best for you?

That’s why we have compared every little thing in detail so that you can choose and invest in the right machine.

Display & Controls

Both machines come with a touchscreen display with two buttons – the left is for power on/off and the right is for start/stop.

However, the touchscreen panels aren’t exactly the same; the command and accessibility are designed at different locations.

The 3200 has LEDs under or next to every icon, which indicates different things. 

Like when you power on the machine, the LED runs in a series between drink options which means the machine is heating and rinsing.

On the other hand, the 4300 also has a mini display inside, which shows everything, like if we take the same situation of heating and rinsing.

It will clearly flash on display and also show a progress bar underneath, which slowly increases and when it touches the other end, the process will be completed, working like a timer.

However, the touchscreen is very responsive in both machines, but it won’t give you full enjoyment of a touchscreen. Because the options/icons shown are fixed and give you a button-like feeling, especially in 3200.

You can control 4300’s mini display with the up, down and right arrow buttons. Although, in terms of display, it is far superior in their segment.

Finally, we all want user-friendly machines, but sometimes machines want to express something that is important for us to understand to act accordingly.

But if it wants to communicate through LEDs in different colors and sometimes blinking – it’s confusing compared to a display that directly notifies what’s going on or needed.

After all, the Philips 4300 is easier to understand and navigate.

Beverages

As you know, there are a total of 5 models in both 3200 and 4300. And one of the dissimilarities between them is the beverages they offer.

So, let’s have a look at each one by one.

The Philips 3200 LatteGo and Iced Coffee offer six drinks and the Philips 3200 Steam Wand offers only five drink options, which are as follows:

Beverages	3200 Lattego	3200 Steam Wand	3200 Iced Coffee
Espresso	✔	✔	✔
Coffee	✔	✔	✔
Americano	✔	✔
Hot Water	✔	✔	✔
Iced Coffee			✔
Espresso Lungo		✔
Cappuccino	✔		✔
Latte Macchiato	✔		✔
Steam		✔

There are no milk-based beverage options in the Steam Wand model because there is a Panarello-style steam wand that you can use to froth milk and brew your favorite latte drink.

Now, the Philips 4300 LatteGo has 10 drink options and the 4300 Steam Wand version offers only 7 options, let’s have a look at each one:

Beverages	4300 LatteGo	4300 Steam Wand
Espresso	✔	✔
Coffee	✔	✔
Americano	✔	✔
Hot Water	✔	✔
Caffé Crema	✔	✔
Ristretto	✔	✔
Milk Froth	✔	✔
Cappuccino	✔
Latte Macchiato	✔
Café au Lait	✔

Again, no milk-based beverages because of the steam wand.

But as I have already discussed above, the brewing unit is similar in both series, so quality-wise they are excellent which is the core of a machine.

Programming

Both models of Philips 4300 provide more customization and programming features than the 3200 series.

The first thing I pretty much like is the user profile; the 4300 has two profiles (Blue and Green) and one guest profile. 

So, if there are two coffee lovers in the house, then either of you can choose green or blue and customize your drink without disturbing anyone’s preferences.

And, if there are some guests at your house or someday you want something different from your customization, then you can go with the guest profile without changing your main profile.

But this feature is not available in 3200 and there is only one user profile which is also customizable by pressing and holding the drink icon and then you can set the preferences.

Now, the 4300 Steam Wand version model has a dial on the steam wand, which gives you extra customization opportunities for hand-steamed milk.

You can turn the dial right for milk froth and left for steamed milk, and because of this, you can brew all milk-based beverages and not just be restricted to only cappuccino and latte macchiato. 

Frothed milk feels light and airy whereas steamed milk is smooth and creamy.

But in 3200 Steam Wand, you won’t find this knob and you will get only one option, i.s. Milk froth.

Also, both the series use 6-10 grams of beans per beverage, but the 4300 offers five aroma strength settings, which means you have five levels to customize your coffee strength.

On the flip side, the 3200 offers only three aroma strength settings, so again less toward customization.

Now, apart from these changes, you also have to keep in mind that the programming options control are at different locations. 

Like if you want to brew 2x espresso, then in 3200, you have to double tap the espresso option and the LED will flash next to the 2x icon and in 4300, you first select the drink, then in the mini screen you have the option to select 2x.

But this is something you’ll get used to in a few days; the deciding factor should be apart from programming controls.

Cleaning and Maintenance

Now, after brewing, cleaning and maintaining the machine for consistent taste and longer durability is very much necessary.

Most of the cleaning process is the same in both machines; you need to clean the brewing unit once a week with warm water and lubricate the moving parts with Philips greaser every one to four months, depending upon the uses.

As we know, coffee beans have oils, especially the dark roast. So, it is advisable to use coffee oil remover tablets once a month to remove oils from the brewing unit.

Now, you may think when to descale the machine? So, if you use a Philips aqua clean filter, you don’t need to descale the machine for a long haul until the machine notifies you.

In the 3200 series, when the calc/clean indicator turns orange, then you need to descale the machine and in 4300, it directly shows on the screen to descale.

Also, for descaling, you need Philips decalcify solution and in 4300, the machine will guide for everything; for 3200, it indicates you through LEDs, but you can refer to user manuals.

For Steam Wand models, everything remains the same, but the steam wand needs to be cleaned internally by selecting the quick rinse button and externally by detaching it and wash with warm water.

The only difference here is a feature that only 4300 Lattego has and it is called Quick Milk Clean, which automatically cleans the path with water where the milk passes for freshness.

But every day, you have to detach the whole LattteGo container and clean it thoroughly with warm water to avoid any milk residue build-up.

Philips 3200 – Quick Rundown

Philips 4300 – Quick Rundown

Final Thoughts

My final thought is to simply go with Philips 4300 series over 3200 if you don’t have a budget issue.

Now here a question arises who should go with which model? 

So, if you need more customization and a better display that prompts everything, go for 4300 LatteGo. And, if you love frothing your milk with other features, go with the 4300 Steam Wand and brew more milk-based beverages.

And, for iced coffee lovers, you have only one choice: to go with Philips 3200 Iced Coffee Model, but this model is more expensive than the other 3200 series.

Both series make the same quality beverages, but the 3200 has fewer options; also, if you don’t require much customization and a more fancy display, go with the 3200 Lattego and save around US $200.

And the same for the 3200 Steam Wand; if you only want milk froth or occasionally brew milk-based beverages and drink more regular coffee, espresso or americano, this is for you.

Finally, if you choose any model of both series with these conditions, you’ll not regret your decision.